1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water-absorbent cellulosic/acrylic spunlaced fabric having improved wickability and water retention capabilities, composite water-absorbent sheet materials and articles made therefrom, and the use of such materials and articles to protect other materials from damage by water and aqueous soiling, especially such as hospital bedding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water-absorbent spunlaced fabrics of synthetic acrylic and cellulosic fibers, and a method for their manufacture, are known for use in reusable diapers as taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,709 (Evans). Absorbent spunlaced fabrics, and their manufacture, of acrylic and polyester fibers useful as wipers, coverstock for sanitary napkins, diapers, and the like are known as taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,190 (Kwok et al.). Reusable, washable, multilayered urine-absorbent, bed pads having a soft pervious outer sheet, and an impermeable outer sheet, with a non-woven layer of absorbent material, such as a mixture of rayon and polyester fibers, in between is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,959 (Dagenais et al.). Another reusable incontinent underpad is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,653 (Levy) comprising a pervious woven or knit fabric layer, a nonwoven absorbent layer and an impervious film layer. The absorbent layer can be a blend of polyester, rayon, or 100% polyester, rayon, or cotton.
Improvements in the wickability and liquid retention capabilities of absorbent fabrics for such applications continue to be sought in an effort to provide more effective protection and comfort in use. This is especially true concerning reusable hospital bed pads for incontinent adult patients, where the weight of the patient tends to cause pooling of the urine beneath the patient, which is not readily wicked away by presently used bed pads. Present pads, for example, may consist of a woven polyester/cotton top layer, an internal absorbent layer of polyester or polyester/rayon in a nonwoven fabric, a urethane or vinyl waterproof bottom sheet to which is bonded a knit polyester or nylon fabric to provide a non-slip surface on the bed, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,653 (Levy).